The present invention generally relates to an improved adjustable support assembly, more particularly to a support assembly that is exceptionally durable and adaptable for use in a wide variety of applications, especially those applications where a conduit-like member is supported by and suspended from a support member. The invention is particularly suitable for use in suspending conduits such as brake hoses and bottom rods from couplers or beams of railway cars, although it is also quite useful for almost any type of attachment, suspension or hold down application. The adjustable support assembly includes a plurality of inelastic, flexible cables that are secured together at spaced locations by a plurality of retaining members to form a series of elongated eyes for receiving and wedging therewithin a free end of one of the inelastic, flexible cables in order to complete the formation of a support loop of a desired size and configuration.
In any number of applications, there is a need for a device for securely attaching, supporting and/or suspending one member from another member. Often, an elongated member must be suspended from a generally stationary member in a manner whereby the suspended elongated member retains some freedom of movement with respect to the stationary support member. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,422,964, an air brake hose of a railway car is suspended from the railway car coupler by a device that includes a suspension chain having quick-connect means, which suspension device allows for limited movement of the air brake hose in order to facilitate connection of the air brake hose to the remainder of the air brake mechanism while permitting the air brake hose to move as needed in order to avoid undesired uncoupling while still restricting movement of the hose to an extent that uncoupling is accomplished only when such is desired.
Other applications find a need for a support assembly that attaches one article or member to another while providing enough flexibility and limited movement so as to retain the member being suspended within an area of movement that is limited according to the particular needs of the structures involved. Such limited movement may be to maintain a desired distance between the suspending and suspended members, such as for an air brake hose of a railway car, a mooring line, a guide wire, a hoist cable, a fixture hanger, or the like. Another general type of application is that of a secondary or safety support mechanism in order to retain an article such as an elongated member in place should the elongated member become inadvertently disconnected from its primary support, which application includes safety cables and a safety support for a member such as a bottom rod of a railway brake mechanism in case the bottom rod becomes disconnected from the brake lever and would otherwise fall from the railway car. A further general type of application is to securely and tightly affix one member to another in order to effect fast repairs, such as affixing an exhaust pipe or the like to the undercarriage of an automobile, or in order to replace a cotter pin or to provide railway car seals.
It is also desirable to provide support assemblies that are easily adjustable in order to vary the support, suspension or attachment length provided by a support device. Such an adjustability feature makes it possible to increase or decrease the suspension length and, when desired, to secure the members together in an abutting fashion by drawing the adjustable support device tightly around the supporting and supported members. These types of support devices should also be inexpensive and easy to use and construct, while still providing a sufficient latitude of adjustability so as to make the device useful for a wide variety of applications. Because of the demanding nature of many of these support applications, a support device is also needed which is especially strong and capable of withstanding severe environmental conditions of the type that are encountered by the undercarriages of railway and road vehicles and the like.
The present invention achieves all of these features and advantages by providing a support assembly having elongated eyes spaced therealong, the support assembly having a one-way means at a free end thereof that enters and passes through a selected elongated eye, and that is retained within that eye against forces exerted in a direction other than the entry direction, said retention being due to a combination of the wedging character of the elongated eye and a stop structure on the one-way means. In this way, the user of this adjustable support assembly can thread a free end of the adjustable support assembly through a supporting aperture and/or wrap the adjustable support assembly around the supporting member and/or the supported member. The one-way aspect of this invention permits passage of the free end through the elongated eye in the leading direction of the free end while substantially preventing unintentional passage therethrough in the opposite or trailing direction thereof.
It is accordingly a general object of this invention to provide an improved adjustable support assembly for affixing one article or member to another article or member.
Another object of the present invention is an improved adjustable support assembly that provides a plurality of wedging elongated eyes spaced along at least a portion thereof in order to provide, in combination with the free ends of the device, one-way securement means for affixing the free ends to a selected location along the device.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved adjustable air brake hose support mechanism for a railway car.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved support mechanism for the bottom rod of a brake mechanism of a railway vehicle.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved device for securing a supporting member such as a suspended conduit-like member to a support member of a mechanism such as a road or railway vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for attaching articles together while permitting limited relative movement of the articles with respect to each other.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved secondary or safety support mechanism.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an assembly for securing and closely affixing one member to another.